Niger

A serious food crisis is brewing in the Sahel region of West Africa, where more than 10 million people already face the threat of hunger every day.

As a member of the Hanzari Women’s Group, one of LWR’s partners in Niger, Hadizatou Makole received training in business management and credit to build up a herd of animals.

Now, she can provide for all eight kids on her own. She has purchased four ewes and a cow — unheard of for a woman in her community. Hadizatou represents a turning point in opportunities for women in Niger, made possible by the kind of grassroots movements LWR supports.

Without these programs, Niger’s women would likely remain marginalized — uneducated, vulnerable, unable to access credit — and the country would lose out on the leadership they have to offer.

The coming years will be an uphill battle for this struggling nation. Yet LWR will continue to act alongside some pretty amazing local partners to combat the causes of poverty in Niger.